Calderón challenges U.S. Congress on arms trafficking …

In his address to the joint session of the U.S. Congress, President Calderón concretely asked for help in stopping arms trafficking: “There is one issue where Mexico needs your cooperation. And that is stopping the flow of assault weapons and other deadly arms across the border. … I understand that the purpose of the Second Amendment is to guarantee good American citizens the ability to defend themselves and their nation. But believe me, many of these guns are not going to honest American hands. … We have seized 75,000 guns and assault weapons in Mexico in the last three years, and more than 80% of those we have been able to trace came from the United States. And if you look carefully, you will notice that the violence started to grow a couple of years before I took office in 2006. This coincides with the lifting of the Assault Weapons Ban in 2004. … Today, these weapons are aimed by the criminals not only at rival gangs, but also at Mexican civilians and authorities. … And with all due respect if you do not regulate the sale of these weapons in the right way, nothing guarantees that criminals here in the United States, with access to the same weapons, will not in turn decide to point them at U.S. authorities and citizens. … I also fully understand the political sensitivity of this issue. But I would ask Congress to help us, and to understand how important it is for us that you enforce current laws to stem the supply of these weapons to criminals, and consider reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban. Let us work together to end this lethal trade that threatens Mexico and your own people.” (Presidencia 5/20)